Athletic family helps mold newest Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Wroten

4:06 a.m. EST, June 30, 2012|Kyle Veazey, Commercial Appeal

When Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace walked into the FedExForum interview room Friday afternoon with new draft pick Tony Wroten Jr. in tow, he launched into the customary introduction of the player's family, which occupied half of the front row.

Only this was not just a name and a nod. It took a while, what with Wallace pointing out the athletic accomplishments of Wroten's family. There was his father, a former NFL player. His mother, an accomplished track athlete. Not present: his former Harlem Globetrotter aunt or his NBA player cousin, Nate Robinson.

It's a pedigree the Griz can only hope means he'll be ahead of the curve in adjusting to the NBA lifestyle -- and crafting his game into its potential.

"He's had to see how it really works behind the scenes," said Wroten Sr., a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer.

The 19-year-old's transition from the University of Washington to the Memphis Grizzlies began Friday, when he flew to town to begin his professional career. It was a "dream come true," Wroten said, mentioning his fondness for Memphis that stemmed from playing in the seventh-grade AAU national tournament here. He knows current Grizzlies Josh Selby and Quincy Pondexter, and he especially liked how he fit into the team's roster.

"I've never had a player that campaigned to get picked by a team like he did," Wallace said.

He'll join the Griz on the floor beginning July 13 at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. There, the Griz hope to see flashes of what led them to draft him -- his versatility at both guard positions, his ability to make plays off the dribble, his passing ability and his defense.

Wroten acknowledged that he has room for improvement on his shot. In his lone season at Washington, he shot 16 percent from the 3-point line.

"I feel like I can come in and work hard and definitely work on my jumper to make it consistent," he said.

He knows he'll receive the close attention of Griz coach Lionel Hollins, with whom he spoke on the phone Thursday night. Wroten has heard of Hollins' demanding reputation. "I'm kind of looking forward to it," Wroten said, acknowledging that Hollins is direct. "I've got tough skin."

Those close to him say that's not just an empty pledge -- it's where he thrives.

"He has an innate desire to be the best," said Ed Haskins, who coached Wroten at Seattle's Garfield High. "He's always at his best when he has something to prove."

Wroten suffered an ACL tear playing football and missed his junior season at Garfield. But Haskins thinks Wroten actually became a better player as a result thanks to the work that was required to rehab.

Wroten attended the same high school as Portland guard Brandon Roy. Wroten said he had a conversation with Roy recently about what's required to become a reliable NBA player -- like handling the 82-game schedule and the life on the road.

Just throw that talk on the pile of family advice he's received on becoming a pro athlete, a life's worth of education the Griz hope translates well.

"Coming up, I was stuck in sports," Wroten said. "So it just helped me become a better person and better player."